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Highway 247

04/23/2013

Alright, I've been hearing this persistant rumor that the seed pods of the Joshua Tree, Yucca brevifolia, are edible. Not just in the sense of "it won't kill you," but like something you might actually want to eat. I'm talkin' about stuff like this:

The stems can be baked, and the blossoms, minus the bitter centers, can be cooked and eaten. The young flower stalks are edible. The flowers are edible raw or cooked as a potherb. Check them for insects before cooking or eating them. The seed pods and seeds are edible when they are young, raw or baked in ashes. They can be sliced, dried, and stored. They taste similar to banana.

Similar to the most bitter, alkaline bananas you can imagine, I guess...

Fruit of the Joshua Tree

The greenish-brown fruit of the Joshua Tree is oval and somewhat fleshy. The 2- to 4-inch-long fruit grows in clusters and is edible. According to "The Oxford Companion to Food," mature pods can be roasted and have a sweet, candy-like flavor. Each fruit contains many flat seeds, which are released on the ground when a fruit dries on the tree and falls to the ground in late spring.

Flowers and Pollination

The flowers of the Joshua tree are bell-shaped, slightly longer than an inch and have six creamy, yellowish-green sepals. The flowers are grouped into clusters, have an unpleasant odor and blossom mostly in the spring. The Joshua Tree, like most yuccas, relies on a single species, the female pronuba moth, for pollination. No other animal transfers the tree's pollen. The moth lays her eggs in the flowers and the hatched larvae feed on the seeds contained in the fruit.

Maybe it'd be better to just eat the moth...

And finally -

Edible Parts: Flowers; Fruit; Root; Seed; Seedpod.

Flowers - cooked. The flower buds, before opening, can be parboiled in salt water to remove the bitterness, drained and then cooked again and served like cauliflower. The opened flowers are rich in sugar and can be roasted and eaten as candy. Fruit - cooked. The fruits can be roasted then formed into cakes and dried for later use. Root - raw, boiled or roasted. Seed. Gathered and eaten by the local Indians. No further details are given, but it is probably ground into a powder and mixed with cornmeal or other flours and used for making bread, cakes etc. Immature seedpod. No more details given. [this is credited as Joshua Tree, but might actually be generic yucca]

If I were one of the locals; Cahuilla, Chemhuevi, Serrano et al, I'd tell the settlers to eat one just for a laugh.

Couple o' things: this has been one of the best years ever for Joshua Tree blooms, although now most of the bloomin' is over and they're poding up. Edibility? So far, so gross. So some kids have been hospitalized for eating a spoonful of cinnamon on a dare? So what? Doesn't even compare to the dreaded yucca pod. So if any of y'all actually have a recipe for Joshua Somethin'-or-Other I'd love to hear about it, 'cause it sure don't taste like banana!

07/18/2012

Folks, I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not opposed to green energy. I think it'll be a good day when our country isn't so dependent on coal and oil. But there's green and then there's green. Instead of giving huge energy companies a bunch of money to tear up pristine desert, how about putting solar panels on every government building in every city, where that electricity is actually going to be used. And leave my desert alone!

There's a nefarious plot afoot to turn Black Mesa into a wind farm, and I am completely, 100% against that. Here's the Homestead Valley's response, and since you're unlikely to see it anywhere else, here goes: Homestead Valley Responds to Wind Turbines

06/18/2012

Shanghai Brown is trying to get some grant money for the Sun Runner, an independent publication that supports all sort of Desert Ratishness, and therefore it's a good cause. Only takes about two minutes, and it's a worthy cause:

Hey folks,

I'm asking for your help from those of you who use FACEBOOK, but it's really easy. My magazine, The Sun Runner, is applying for a Mission Small Business grant through Chase and LivingSocial. This grant would make a huge difference for our ability to cover serious desert issues, as well as to help promote desert arts and culture, history, tribal matters, and more.

Facebook users can help support The Sun Runner Magazine with a few clicks.In order to be eligible, we have to get at least 250 votes before June 30. The more votes, the better for our application.

To vote, all you have to do is go to https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com/, log in with Facebook - then like them & then near the bottom of the email search for Sun Runner, California, Joshua Tree, and when we pop up, hit "Vote."

That's it. It only costs you a few seconds to help us be eligible for a grant that could make a significant difference for our ability to serve the desert region. Thanks for your help and support! ‹Steve "Shanghai" Brown

01/17/2012

Folks I'm a great believer in alternative energy, but I'm not a believer in giving huge tracts of pristine desert to power companies so they can ruin public land for a profit. This is becoming a huge problem all over the California desert and we're going to have to band together to do something about it.

Now some of the land that's supposed to get windmills and solar panels all over it is part of the Old Spanish Trail, specifically the Tecopa part of the trail, so I'm going to be at this meeting, and if you're going too, please RSVP with Paul McClure.

Here's the forwarded message:

Please join us on Saturday, January 21, 2012, for a very important meeting!

An OSTA Alert

Old Spanish Trail Faces New Threats in the Mojave. What Can OSTA Do? Help Us Find the Answers… Proposed solar energy and wind farm projects endanger the Old Spanish Trail corridor in some of the most sensitive and unspoiled areas of the Mojave. The Hidden Hills solar plant and the Silurian Valley wind farm would both require massive grading and erect huge structures (twin 750-foot high towers at Hidden Hills; more than 120 windmills from 250-400 feet high along Highway 127 in the scenic Silurian Valley near Death Valley). Both projects would impinge on the Trail and destroy unspoiled desert vistas.

Join with Tecopa chapter leaders and OSTA members from California and Nevada on January 21, 2012, to plan an effective response that makes sure the Trail is protected now that the U.S. is locating renewable energy in the desert. The Tecopa chapter is established with regulatory agencies as an “Intervener” and is actively engaged on these two projects, as well as ongoing research on the Trail. This is your chance to become involved.

Refreshments: Sandwiches and drinks will be availableCost: Free to OSTA members and guests with advance registration

The Program

OSTA’s Jan. 21 Strategy and Action Planning session will:

Review proposed projects and evaluate possible mitigation measures

Consider proposing efficient alternatives, such as placing power generation where the population is. This can be achieved by installing rooftop on industrial and large government buildings, warehouses, and parking lots in our cities.

Plan and organize OSTA monitoring and participation in the regulatory and environmental proceedings for each project, contacting elected officials, and coordinating with other historical and environmental organizations

Offer you the chance to get involved with ongoing OSTA projects, including:

Field location and recording of the 1829-1848 mule trace being conducted by the Tecopa chapter

Archival research to document the OST in CA and NV Preparation of OSTA field and archival data for Geographical Information Systems (GIS) presentations.

Register for this free event by return e-mail to Paul McClure (espabloaqui@verizon.net) or by telephone at 909-305-0505. Please include names of all in your party who plan to attend. This is so that we can prepare an attendance list and order the right amount of food and drinks.

12/20/2011

Here's a video created by Mary Lee Weir about Garth Bowles, the founder of God's Way Love in Pioneertown/Rimrock. We were out there visiting him in his beautiful boulder garden a couple of weeks back with Barb & Rob Harris, Greg Bishop and a representative sample of the Kook Out gang - just Majik.

The ponds have some ice on them now, but everyone got around the fire for some good old-fashioned hospitality. And when the full moon rose - well, it was just one of those moments that made you glad to be out in the desert under a starry night sky, far away from "civilization."

11/27/2011

Y'all Jane and I were off having adventures with Barb and Rob Harris over the weekend, and we ended up at Rock Corral in Johnson Valley, a box canyon the cattlemen used to use when they drove herds down from Big Bear. The Rock Corral is believed to have been built by two brothers named Swett in the 1880s or maybe it wasn't til 1905, according to a reference in The Sun Runner. Willie Boy had a sip from the spring further on up the hill, in the course of the famous manhunt. At any rate, it's a mighty historical place to take a bath, and if somethin' isn't done about it, the whole area's gonna be covered in windmills, ruining this pristine desert forever.

04/14/2011

I've enrolled in the recording engineer pre-program at Citrus Community College and have been so busy that those regular posts have been impossible to keep up with. Nevertheless, I'm plannin' a trip out to Tecopa Tom's place, tending the beehive, and various and sundry other Raven Jake-ish sort of activities. And there are some things coming up this weekend that y'all ought to know about.

For starters, National Parks Week (April 16-24) is kicking off, so take advantage of the free admission and go to a National Park (Joshua Tree, for example). Joshua Tree is also having an event with the National Parks Conservation Association to restore some tortoise habitat on the northern boundary from 8:30-3:00 on Saturday.

12/07/2010

While I was recording my newest song "Gasoline" this weekend, Jane was off with Adam Gorightly and friends at Salvation Mountain. More on all of that later, I just wanted to send a shout out to Pappy and Harriet's for being one of the finest honky-tonks around. Great place for barbecue, and an even better place for live music. Case in point - the featured bands were Gram Rabbit and Spindrift - both cutting-edge cowpunk - if you like that kinda thing, which I do, especially live. So if you find yourself in Pioneertown of a weekend, go check it out. Down below is Gram Rabbit, singing California Christmas. It's just a goofy little song to illustrate what Christmas is like here in Southern California (and those of you who're stringing up lights on the Joshua Tree on Saturday know what I'm talkin' about.)

10/24/2010

Folks, many times people know their address, but they don't really know where they live. Now people have been thinkin' with fully evolved human brains for the last 40,000 years or so, maybe more, so while the technology changes around, the same stuff that's common to all people across culture - love, crime, kids, drugs, zombie attacks, you know, whatever; that stuff stays the same.

So when Barbara Harris from the Morongo Basin Historical Society blurted out "People just don't know where they live!" I took that to heart. 'Cause history didn't just happen to some poor dude long ago and far away - these historical personages could've been your creepy neighbor or high school sweetheart or jerk of a boss - the archetypes remain constant. The MBHS is starting a membership drive under the banner "Do You Know Where You Live?" and if you live in the Morongo Basin, spend two sawbucks and find out - and if you don't, find out anyway. Do a little research and figure out where you live. In the meantime, I've been recording some radio public service announcements to help the process along, and here's the first 60-second spot:

10/14/2010

Old time Raven Jake readers might recall that about 2 1/2 years ago we made a 3-day trip through the Mojave. Well, that's all well and good, but when this came across the digital desk, Jane just about fell outta her chair and now she's fixin' to cover it for her magazine, The Insider.

This is, for the first time in about 10 years a train is goin' from L.A. to Barstow to Kelso, a beautiful trip and the best part is, with all this new investment in infrastructure, this won't cost much a'tall: tracks already there. Train already exists. Just gotta open that line, and if everything goes well, David Lamfrom, California Desert Program Manager National Parks Conservation Association, thinks daily service might become an option again. And Barstow's Chamber of Commerce is right behind it.

Kelso's a great little spot and if you can meet that train - or better yet, get on it - bet you'll be in for a treat. Here's the fine print:

After more than a decade, Group's Hope Ride is first step in reconnecting visitors to the history and beauty of the Mojave.

BARSTOW, CA—The history of the California Desert and the western United States is deeply connected to the railroad, but with the advent of the automobile, it is also something few experience in these modern times. A key desert passenger rail route, Amtrak’s Desert Wind, connecting Barstow’s historic Harvey House and Mojave National Preserve’s Kelso Depot last ran in 1997.

That will change next month, when service resumes on Sunday, October 17, 2010. “Bringing the Barstow-to-Kelso railroad back to life can help strengthen Barstow’s economy while connecting visitors to the history and beauty of the Mojave,” said Jeri Justus, executive director of the Barstow Chamber of Commerce.

Renowned for its scenic views, this route across the desert passes through Afton Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Mojave, and an immense sand dune system known as the Devil’s Playground. Bringing passenger rail service back to the Mojave is the result of a multiple year effort by the Barstow-to-Kelso Railroad Committee, a local organization headed by two former mayors; area business leaders; the National Parks Conservation Association, the Barstow Chamber of Commerce, and the Mojave National Preserve.

“The opportunity to experience the Mojave National Preserve via passenger rail honors the history of the desert and the spirit of the communities that are so uniquely linked to this beautiful land,” said David Lamfrom, California Desert program manager with the National Parks Conservation Association.

A weekend of events celebrating the return to service of this historic route can be accessed via existing lines in the Los Angeles metro area and the inland empire on Saturday, October 16, 2010. Passengers can depart from Los Angeles’ Union Station that morning with stops in Fullerton and San Bernardino prior to arriving in Barstow for the annual Rail Fest celebration. The following day, Sunday, October 17, 2010, the train will depart from Barstow’s Harvey House for the scenic two-hour ride to the Kelso Depot.

Local guides will highlight the history and geology along the route and passengers can enjoy the Mojave National Preserve on foot prior to reboarding the train for service to Barstow and continuing return service to Union Station in Los Angeles. This ride, is open to the public and tickets can be purchased for the full ride or for stops along the way. Snacks, beverages, and meals are included.